Exploratory testing is an approach to testing that emphasizes the freedom and responsibility of testers to continually optimize the value of their work. It is the process of three mutually supportive activities done in parallel: learning, test design, and test execution. With skill and practice, exploratory testers typically uncover an order of magnitude more problems than when the same amount of effort is spent on procedurally scripted testing. All testers conduct exploratory testing in one way or another, but few know how to do it systematically to obtain the greatest benefits. Even fewer can articulate the process. Jon Bach looks at specific heuristics and techniques of exploratory testing that will help you get the most from this highly productive approach. Jon focuses on the skills and dynamics of exploratory testing, and how it can be combined with scripted approaches.

1. Explorator y Testing
Explained
Jon Bach
QE Director, Live Site Quality
jobach@ebay.com
STAR Canada 2013

2. Do you see structure here?

3. How about here?
3

4. … or here?
http://www.itechnews.net/2008/03/29/steve-jobs-mosaic-portrait/

5. … or here?
http://www.japanquakemap.com/

6. … or here?
6

7. Preamble
Ever use the term "playing around" to describe your testing?
Ever cringe after saying it, wishing there was a better way of
describing what you did than to give the impression it was all
accidental and random?
If so, this workshop may help you understand and explain
exploratory testing as a thoughtful, purposeful approach whose
results stand up under scrutiny.
7

8. Promises

Participate in exercises that focus on bug isolation and
investigation, risks and vulnerabilities.

Learn frameworks and heuristics of exploration to use in tight
situations

Discover ways to report your exploration so it stands up to
scrutiny.
There is structure and purpose if you know how to
identify it and tell a story about it.
8

9. Why this talk?
1) Exploratory testers want respect: When testers explore
during testing, they find great bugs. However, since they
often don’t know how to describe their thinking, it’s
considered to be dismissed as “playing around”.
2) The documentation dilemma: Project managers may insist
that all testing be documented, so how to balance time spent
documenting with time spent testing?
3) Your work might be scrutinized: You may have to give a
report someday about something you did that was
exploratory – like attending this conference.

10. Exercise
(ebay Search)
Most bizarre thing for sale on ebay?
Most expensive thing on ebay?
What’s trending?
How can you find completed items?
What’s most common item sold?
How many categories of items for sale?
How many actual items?

11. Exploratory Testing
• Sabourin: “continuous test design as testing continues;
continuous testing as design continues; continuous test
planning as testing continues”
• Hendrickson: a style of testing in which you explore the
software while simultaneously designing and executing
tests, using feedback from the last test to inform the next
(Test-Driven Testing?)
• Bolton: Operating and observing the product with the
freedom and mandate to investigate it in an open-ended
search for information about the program.
• Kaner: Simultaneous learning, design and execution,
with an emphasis on learning.

12. “The” ET Definition
A style of software testing…
that emphasizes the personal freedom…
and responsibility of the individual tester…
to continually optimize the quality of his/her work…
by treating test-related learning…
test design…
test execution…
and test result interpretation…
as mutually supportive activities…
that run in parallel…
throughout the project.
-- Cem Kaner, 2006

13. “The” ET Definition
A style of software testing…
that emphasizes the personal freedom…
and responsibility of the individual tester…
to continually optimize the quality of his/her work…
by treating test-related learning…
test design…
test execution…
and test result interpretation…
as mutually supportive activities…
that run in parallel…
throughout the project.
-- Cem Kaner, 2006

14. Analogies
Psychologist
Driving a car
“20 Questions”
Sports
Bounty Hunter
Going to a testing conference
Job Interview
Jam session
Newspaper reporter

15. Missions that inspire ET
• Change test case variables
• Execute a checklist
• Regress a list of bugs
• Confirm a rumor
• Design a test case
• Write some automation

16. Testers light the way.
This is our role.
We see things for what they are.
We make informed decisions about quality possible,
because we think critically about software.
16

17. Key Idea
Testing is…
an infinite process
of comparing the invisible
to the ambiguous
in order to avoid the unthinkable
happening to the anonymous.

18. Key Idea
Testing is…
an infinite process
of comparing the invisible
to the ambiguous
in order to avoid the unthinkable
happening to the anonymous.

19. What is testing?
“Try it and see if it works.”
Learn anything reasonable that matters about
whether it can work and how it might not work.
19

20. What is testing?
“Try it and see if it works.”
Coverage
Oracles
Get it set up
Choose where to look
Read specs
Run it
See what’s there
See if product matches
Run it again, maybe
See what’s not there
Find problems…
…especially the bad
ones
Procedures
20

21. “I want you to test this…”

22. What is testing?
If you don’t have an understanding and an agreement on what is
the mission of your testing, then doing it “rapidly” would be
pointless.
“everything that matters”
22

23. The “tester freedom” scale
pure scripted
vague scripts
fragmentary
test cases
(scenarios)
freestyle exploratory
charters
roles
To know where a test falls on this scale, the
tester must ask themselves: “to what extent
am I in control of the test, and from where did
the idea originate?”

24. Exercise
This app asks you for the next
item in a sequence of numbers.
What is the next number?
Operating rule?

25. Exploration is discovery…
?
?
?
Pa
rts
Un
?
kn
?
ow
n
?

26. …that starts with an idea…

27. and ends with a perception…
Ea
rth
s
top
sh
e re
…

28. …depending on the mission
Before
exploring
After
exploring

29. …mission, mission, mission
If you don’t know your mission,
you’re not testing.
That’s ok, just call it *touring*.

30. Lewis & Clark, 1802
Mission: Find a water passage across North America…

31. The charter from Jefferson
“The object of your mission is to explore the
Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as,
by its course & communication with the water of
the Pacific ocean may offer the most direct &
practicable water communication across this
continent, for the purposes of commerce.”
http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/lewisandclark/instructions.html

32. Chartering
Making your own decisions about what you will work on and
how you will work. Understanding your client’s needs, the
problems you must solve, and assuring that your work is on
target.

33. Sponsors and stakeholders
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Test Manager
Product Manager
CEO
Customer
Developer
Marketing
Tech Writer
Customer Support
Other testers

34. Charter-based method #1
Session-Based Exploration
Think in time-boxed missions to
explore, resulting in a test report
with Notes, Bugs, and Issues.

35. Structure
The “Session”
1)
2)
3)
Time Box
Reviewable Result
Debriefing

36. “I want you to test this…”
My testing demo…

37. Some sample session charters

Installation: When installed, does Triangle! put any files in the wrong places?
Does it leave any files for the uninstall? Check the registry keys, use InCtrl to
see what changes are made. Installation is new, so we want to be sure it’s
clean.

Boundary testing: We got word from customer support that there are run-time
errors when using integers over 32000 but no one can repro it. Best recon is
on Win XP Pro with Office 2003 running in the background. Sam K. in CSS
says you can use his machine, and he also has customer specs.

Ship drill: Start Triangle! right out of the box. For example, is the readme
ready to go? We’re waiting from word on Legal as to the License Agreement,
but that shouldn’t hold you up. Also make sure you hit Vista and see what
issues arise there.

Claims testing: Triangle is meant for first graders, but we plan to ship a
version to General Dynamics in a few months. Try some usability profiles or
personas to see what functions become more or less risky. Also, discover the
algorithm by which Triangle! reports its results. Is it way off from what a user
would expect. Does it cause the user to lower their confidence?

38. Charter-creation method #2
Open-Book Testing
The act of creating open-ended
questions such that…

39. …testers…
…are immersed in the product right away, building a model or
mind map.
…learn how they are provoked into critical thinking by being
exposed to many types of questions (test ideas).
… quickly find bugs and raise issues in answering the questions
they are given

40. Questions
}
test ideas
test cases
test scenarios
test plans
test scripts
test designs
test strategies
test heuristics

41. test ideas
test cases
test scenarios
test plans
test scripts
test designs
test strategies
test heuristics
}
Questions
These comprise the exam to which software will either pass or fail.

42. A few non-obvious (?) sources for charters
•
Bug database
•
Testers (paired testing)
•
Programmers (different domain expertise)
•
Similar (or competing) products
•
Customer Support
•
Claims made by marketing
•
Emails / Meetings / RSS feeds

43. Resources
Questions and answers can originate from the same sources:










Documentation / Specifications
Web forums
Previous products
Team members
Competing products
PSS data / KB articles
Your expertise
Heuristics
Help files
Manuals

44. IM OPEN

Interrogate: The test manager or tester develops a list of
questions to answer.

Manipulate: The testers execute actions to answer the question.

Observe: Testers take notes on what they find.

Plan: Testers determine any follow-up questions (tests) that
occur to them, in preparation to debrief their results.

Evaluate: Testers and test manager meet to compare answers
(test results).

Negotiate: After the debrief, testers and test managers talk
about the appropriate next steps in mission or coverage

45. A Heuristic Test Strategy Model
Project
Environment
Tests
Quality
Criteria
Product
Elements
Perceived
Quality
45

46. A Heuristic Test Strategy Model
Project
Environment
Tests
Quality
Criteria
Product
Elements
Perceived
Quality
46

47. Coverage
Product coverage is the proportion of the product that has been tested.
 Structure
 Function
 Data
 Platform
 Operations
 Time
Capability
Reliability
Usability
Security
Scalability
Performance
Installability
Compatibility
Supportability
Testability
Maintainability
Portability
Localizability
47

48. Structural Coverage
Test what it’s
made of.
input
platform
 Print
–
–
–
–
testing example
Files associated with printing
Code modules that implement printing
Code statements inside the modules
Code branches inside the modules
output

49. Functional Coverage
Test what
it does.
input
functions
functions
platform
 Print
–
–
–
testing example
Print, page setup and print preview
Print range, print copies, zoom
Print all, current page, or specific range
output

50. Data Coverage
Test what
it does it to.
input
functions
&
structure
output
platform
 Print
–
–
–
testing example
Types of documents
Items in documents, size and structure of
documents
Data about how to print (e.g. zoom factor, no. of
copies)

51. Platform Coverage
Test what it
depends upon.
input
functions
&
structure
platform
 Print
–
–
–
–
testing example
Printers, spoolers, network behavior
Computers
Operating systems
Printer drivers
output

52. Operations Coverage
Test how
it’s used.
input
platform
 Print
–
–
–
–
testing example
Use defaults
Use realistic environments
Use realistic scenarios
Use complex flows
output

53. Time Coverage
Test how
it’s affected
by time.
input
output
platform
 Print
–
–
–
–
–
–
testing example
Try different network or port speeds
Print one document right after another, or after long intervals
Try time-related constraints--spooling, buffering, or timeouts
Try printing hourly, daily, month-end, and year-end reports
Try printing from two workstations at the same time
Try printing again, later.

54. Exercise
Does it work?
What is the hidden feature?
What story does the data tell?

55. How did you *find* that?
Some Exploration Skills and Tactics
“MR.Q COMP GRABC R&R?”
Modeling
Chartering
Generating/Elaborating
Recording
Resourcing
Observing
Refocusing
Reporting
Questioning
Manipulating
Alternating
Pairing
Branching/Backtracking
Conjecturing
Exploratory testing is a mindset using this skillset.

56. Skills of Exploration

Put the tester's mind at the center of testing.

Learn to deal with complexity and ambiguity.

Learn to tell a compelling testing story.

Develop testing skills through practice, not just talk.

Use heuristics to guide and structure your process.

Be a service to the project community, not an obstacle.

Consider cost vs. value in all your testing activity.

Diversify your team and your tactics.

Dynamically manage the focus of your work.

Your context should drive your choices, both of which evolve
over time.
56

57. Testing ourselves
Chartering is an opportunity for testers and managers to
cultivate and improve testing skill:
How did you arrive at that answer?
What did you see along the way?
Was there anything confusing about the questions?
Any riffs off of questions?
What test ideas did others have with the same question?

58. What managers might ask
How did you spend your time?
What did you find?
Did you need some help / tools?
Do you think there’s more to do here?
Was this charter reasonable?
Agenda: “PROOF”
Past
Results
Obstacles
Outlook
Feelings

59. The real message
What’s being asked
What they may be thinking
What was your mission?
Remind me what I told you to do…
How did it go?
What do I worry about next?
How far did you get?
Are we closer to shipping?
Need anything?
Can I speed this along?
When will you be done?
Will I get my bonus?

60. What to document
Historical Explorer
Tester
Observations
•
drawings of flora / fauna
•
feature model
(To the degree you think they are
relevant to stakeholders)
•
descriptions of indigenous people
•
text from log files
•
landmarks
•
text from dialogs
Conjectures
•
what is this thing?
•
test ideas
(Inferences based on experiences.
After I test, I think I know something)
•
where should we go today?
•
questions
•
how do we get there?
•
•
new orders from HQ?
•
are those people hostile?
product and project
issues
•
concerns
risks
charter
Project information
•
mission
•
•
(Independent of observer)
•
supplies and staff
•
test actions
•
latitude / longitude
•
config info
•
death and disease
•
build details
•
supply status
•
tools used

61. Testing *is* journalism
It involves consulting sources, references, oracles -- and
taking notes about those details.
It requires communication to an audience who wants
information and who will either scrutinize or trust your
report.
It involves a story formed by following up on rumors,
tips, leads, conjectures, and questions – in pursuit of
the truth.

62. When I was 10, Dad said…
Every story is this simple:
Somebody wants something…
Something stands in their way…
This is what they do about it…

63. Story Elements (Testing)
Characters
(Somebody)
Purpose
(Wants something)
Conflict
(Something’s in the way)
Actions
(What was done about it)
Testers
Customers
Stakeholders
“How stable are these new features?”
“I want to print all of my recipes.”
“Try to repro this bug.”
Limited budget and time
"How does this thing work?”
"We have yet to run <these> tests.”
Risks exposed
Techniques used
Features covered

64. Key Idea
Agility is about the freedom
to create, learn, and adapt,
as we get fast feedback.
[ Responding to change
over following a plan ]

65. Key Idea
Exploratory testing is about
the freedom
to discover, learn, and adapt,
while delivering fast feedback.

66. A report of my exploration

67. Activities to report
Bug Investigation
Test Design and Execution
Session Setup
(and Reporting)

68. Conclusion
There is structure and purpose in exploration …
know how to identify it.




Management Method: Session-Based tests
Chartering Method: Open-Book Testing
Idea Method: Heuristic Test Strategy Model
Technique inventory: stress, flow, risk, claims,
etc…